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Recent rumors and gossip about NHLen-usBlackhawks ban fans who shouted racist taunts at opponentThe Chicago Blackhawks have taken swift action against fans who chanted racist taunts at a black Washington Capitals player.Caps forward Devante Smith-Pelly was sent to the penalty box after a fight during the third period of Saturday’s game. According to Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post, four Blackhawks fans up against the box began chanting “Basketball! Basketball!” at him.Smith-Pelly confronted the fans through the glass, and all four were ejected by arena security. On Monday, the team announced that the fans have been banned from all future Blackhawks games. Unfortunately, racist heckling happens at sporting events from time to time. Luckily, teams tend to deal with it fairly aggressively.19 Feb 2018 18:31:49 -0500http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/blackhawks_ban_fans_who_shouted_racist_taunts_at_capitals_player/s1_127_25751162
http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/blackhawks_ban_fans_who_shouted_racist_taunts_at_capitals_player/s1_127_25751162Blackhawks ban fans who shouted racist taunts at opponenthttp://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/blackhawks_ban_fans_who_shouted_racist_taunts_at_capitals_player/s1_127_25751162http://www.yardbarker.com/media/2/a/2a96b83d9d4eb3c452ea569f37a525331164e596/top_story/10347556.jpgDetroit GM 'at top of list' to run potential Seattle franchiseWith the likelihood that Seattle will end up with their own expansion franchise in the coming years, the importance of hiring a top general manager will be surfacing quicker than ever. The Vegas Golden Knights have proved that running an expansion franchise might just be one of the top job in the NHL as George McPhee has showed. Now that Seattle has officially filed an expansion application recently, the team might be looking for their own GM, if/when it gets approved.Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland might be “at the top of the list,” of candidates to fill that role in Seattle in the near future.“Let’s make no mistake about it, Kenny Holland is out there,” Kypreos said during the Headlines segment Saturday on Hockey Night in Canada. “His contract is going to expire at the end of the year. No talks at all scheduled. It appears it might go all the way to the end of the season before it gets addressed. You’ve got to put him at the top of the list.”Some might c18 Feb 2018 22:29:21 -0500http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/detroits_holland_at_top_of_list_to_run_seattle_franchise/s1_14825_25740671
http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/detroits_holland_at_top_of_list_to_run_seattle_franchise/s1_14825_25740671Detroit GM 'at top of list' to run potential Seattle franchisehttp://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/detroits_holland_at_top_of_list_to_run_seattle_franchise/s1_14825_25740671http://www.yardbarker.com/media/5/5/5541abb382081c7721a5215b4be23fd0a9302885/top_story/GettyImages-478794100.jpgNHL releases statement about racial comments by fansThe NHL released a statement this morning about Saturday night’s incident in Chicago in which four fans directed racial remarks towards Washington Capitals forward Devante Smith-Pelly. The African American forward was taunted by fans who were sitting near the penalty box in the third period of the game with the Blackhawks, while he was serving a five-minute major for fighting.According to Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan, the fans said “basketball, basketball, basketball,” while Smith-Pelly was in the box, which understandably upset him. Four fans were booted from the game following the altercation.
“Last night in Chicago, individuals directed racial taunts and abuse at Washington Capitals player Devante Smith-Pelly,” said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. “The National Hockey League condemns this unacceptable and reprehensible behavior. The League fully supports the actions taken by the United Center and the Blackhawks to eject the offenders and would expect the same response to any similarly unacceptable18 Feb 2018 12:58:42 -0500http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/nhl_releases_statement_about_racial_comments_by_fans/s1_14825_25738331
http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/nhl_releases_statement_about_racial_comments_by_fans/s1_14825_25738331NHL releases statement about racial comments by fanshttp://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/nhl_releases_statement_about_racial_comments_by_fans/s1_14825_25738331http://www.yardbarker.com/media/5/2/5267ba811ac7c0bb735efc3aee97896715830146/top_story/10496667.jpgFans at Blackhawks game ejected for racist taunts at Capitals playerFour fans were ejected from Saturday’s Capitals-Blackhawks game at United Center for racist taunts directed at a member of the visiting team.It happened after Capitals winger Devante Smith-Pelly, who is black, was serving a five-minute penalty for fighting Connor Murphy midway through the third period. Smith-Pelly was then subjected to racist taunts while in the penalty box, as fans chanted “basketball, basketball, basketball.” The Blackhawks issued a statement about the incident, apologizing to Smith-Pelly and confirming that the fans were ejected for their actions. Capitals head coach Barry Trotz called the fans’ actions “disgusting” in speaking to reporters after the game.“There’s absolutely no place in the game of hockey or in our country for racism,” Trotz said. “I think it’s disgusting. There’s no place for it. The athletes in our country don’t deserve that. It just shows ignorance.” Trotz hit the nail on the head — there is no place for that type of behavior, no matter the situation. It is good to hear18 Feb 2018 12:46:14 -0500http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/fans_at_blackhawks_game_ejected_for_racist_taunts_at_capitals_player/s1_12740_25738031
http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/fans_at_blackhawks_game_ejected_for_racist_taunts_at_capitals_player/s1_12740_25738031Fans at Blackhawks game ejected for racist taunts at Capitals playerhttp://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/fans_at_blackhawks_game_ejected_for_racist_taunts_at_capitals_player/s1_12740_25738031http://www.yardbarker.com/media/4/5/45e98cb4b2b45adc659b975814f319191205dbc3/top_story/USATSI_10417039.jpgDion Phaneuf, Nate Thompson dealt to Kings for GaborikAfter much speculation, TSN’s Darren Dreger tweets that the Ottawa Senators and Los Angeles Kings have agreed to a deal that will send Marian Gaborik and Nick Shore from LA to Ottawa for Dion Phaneuf and Nate Thompson. The deal will also see Ottawa absorb 25% of Phaneuf’s cap hit. The trade call was confirmed by the league at 9:14 CST per a tweet from TSN’s Bob McKenzie.McKenzie tweeted out earlier that “something appears to be done,” but players involved were still competing in their respective games. McKenzie tweeted even earlier that Phaneuf had been pulled from the lineup during the Ottawa-Pittsburgh contest so the trade could get done. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman also confirmed the speculation, tweeting that the teams were working on a deal.Phaneuf still has three years left on his 7-year, $49MM deal at the end of the season. With 25% of the deal eaten by the Senators, Ottawa will save $4MM tweets TSN’s Frank Seravalli. The Kings will see a cap hit of $5.25MM.14 Feb 2018 12:00:31 -0500http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/dion_phaneuf_nate_thompson_dealt_to_los_angeles_for_gaborik/s1_14825_25701917
http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/dion_phaneuf_nate_thompson_dealt_to_los_angeles_for_gaborik/s1_14825_25701917Dion Phaneuf, Nate Thompson dealt to Kings for Gaborikhttp://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/dion_phaneuf_nate_thompson_dealt_to_los_angeles_for_gaborik/s1_14825_25701917http://www.yardbarker.com/media/6/4/643953c79cb7ffe0922acc50d6d4722daed40a99/top_story/10608946.jpgKings’ Dustin Brown to get hearing with Department of Player SafetyThe Department of Player Safety announced this afternoon that they will have a hearing today for the Los Angeles Kings Dustin Brown for kneeing Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev during Saturday night's game. The knee-to-knee hit can be seen here.Brown, who is not new to the Department of Player Safety hearings, had a hearing only last month for cross-checking Pittsburgh Penguins’ Justin Schultz. In that incident, Brown got a surprisingly gently slap on the wrist as he was not suspended despite receiving a five-minute major and a game misconduct for the hit. He was fined $10,000. Brown had been suspended two games 18 months previous to that for a hit against Jason Pominville, then with the Minnesota Wild.While he wasn’t necessarily classified as a repeat offender in his hearing in January, that won’t be the case this time around as a suspension would seem likely. With the Kings fighting to stay in the Western Conference playoff race (currently holding the third spot in the Pacific Division), los11 Feb 2018 14:56:46 -0500http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/kings_dustin_brown_to_get_hearing_with_department_of_player_safety/s1_14825_25681394
http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/kings_dustin_brown_to_get_hearing_with_department_of_player_safety/s1_14825_25681394Kings’ Dustin Brown to get hearing with Department of Player Safetyhttp://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/kings_dustin_brown_to_get_hearing_with_department_of_player_safety/s1_14825_25681394http://www.yardbarker.com/media/9/b/9b050fef08774992febc193b25f0c0fedc35c949/top_story/10507881.jpgBuffalo’s Eichel out indefinitely with high ankle sprainThe Buffalo Sabres will be without their best player as the team announced that Jack Eichel will be out indefinitely with a high ankle sprain. This is the second year in a row he’s suffered this injury, although last year’s sprain was with his left leg. This sprain is with his right leg.Eichel, the team’s leading scorer suffered the same injury a year ago when he missed the first 21 games of the season and didn’t start his season until Nov. 29 in 2016. A similar timetable could suggest he might miss most if not all of the remainder of the season. The 21-year-old center has played in 55 games this year and has 22 goals and 53 points and was well on his way to posting career highs this season.From a team outlook, Eichel’s loss shouldn’t affect much as the team plans to be sellers at the deadline and have the second-worst record in the league with a 16-29-10 record. The team should have a good chance of snagging the top pick in the 2018 draft lottery in Rasmus Dahlin.The Buffalo News’ John Vogl tweets that the t11 Feb 2018 14:36:47 -0500http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/buffalos_eichel_out_indefinitely_with_high_ankle_sprain/s1_14825_25681232
http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/buffalos_eichel_out_indefinitely_with_high_ankle_sprain/s1_14825_25681232Buffalo’s Eichel out indefinitely with high ankle sprainhttp://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/buffalos_eichel_out_indefinitely_with_high_ankle_sprain/s1_14825_25681232http://www.yardbarker.com/media/4/b/4b07d8c42ba7da91d03af21e219673c97be0b73b/top_story/10594095.jpgRangers’ Ondrej Pavelec out 2-3 weeksThe New York Rangers will be without their backup goaltender Ondrej Pavelec, who sprained his MCL and will be out for two to three weeks, according to Justin Tasch of the Daily News. The injury happened during Friday’s game against the Calgary Flames when the 30-year-old goaltender was forced to leave during the first period of the game.The injury is just another one of many for the Rangers, who have been decimated by them. The team already is without winger Chris Kreider (rib resection), defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk (meniscus surgery), Pavel Buchnevich (concussion), Marc Staal (cervical strain). Defenseman Ryan McDonagh is also out with an upper-body injury. Winger Jimmy Vesey has also missed some time, but is expected to play today.Pavelec has struggled at times with the Rangers as he has a 3.01 GAA in 16 appearances and a .910 save percentage. He did, however, have a dominant streak between Oct. 26 and Jan. 7 in which he had a 2.27 GAA and a .937 save percentage. The recalled Alexander Georgiev from the Ha11 Feb 2018 13:37:31 -0500http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/rangers_ondrej_pavelec_out_2_3_weeks/s1_14825_25680782
http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/rangers_ondrej_pavelec_out_2_3_weeks/s1_14825_25680782Rangers’ Ondrej Pavelec out 2-3 weekshttp://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/rangers_ondrej_pavelec_out_2_3_weeks/s1_14825_25680782http://www.yardbarker.com/media/d/4/d4d89bcdeb9e053872bec39ef6c03a6b21da1036/top_story/10596994.jpgSenators Notes: Changes to come; plans for Karlsson's potential departureArmed with a new three-year extension, Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion has a tough task ahead of him, but he has already said that change is coming. He has stated that he has been listening to offers for the entire team with the exception of captain Erik Karlsson, winger Mark Stone and defenseman Thomas Chabot after a tough season which sees them in seventh place in the Atlantic Division after a season in which they went to the Eastern Conference finals last season.The Ottawa Citizen’s Bruce Garrioch writes the real question is how big of a change will Dorion want to make at the deadline or during the offseason. Names have surfaced range from Mike Hoffman, Zack Smith, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Ryan Dzingel, Cody Ceci, Dion Phaneuf and Johnny Oduya.“The phone is always busy,” Dorion said. “We’ve put ourselves in the position that we are and people know that last year we had a lot of players that were key components to us getting to the final four teams. I think other teams are looking at us. We have t11 Feb 2018 12:13:05 -0500http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/senators_notes_dorion_anselmi_karlsson/s1_14825_25680242
http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/senators_notes_dorion_anselmi_karlsson/s1_14825_25680242Senators Notes: Changes to come; plans for Karlsson's potential departurehttp://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/senators_notes_dorion_anselmi_karlsson/s1_14825_25680242http://www.yardbarker.com/media/d/8/d889913069ba7cdb24ba810d6cae1171436abb51/top_story/10595104.jpgCentral Notes: Predators happy with forwards; Mason skates; Blues won't move prospectsWith the Predators having a very strong top-four on the back end plus four others on their active roster, GM David Poile acknowledged to NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger that he’s happy with their situation on the back end and that if they look to add between now and the February 26th trade deadline, it would be up front. Last season, Nashville used 17 different forwards in the first two rounds of the playoffs due to injuries, so it’s no surprise that Poile is a proponent of adding depth at that position. They’ll eventually get some depth down the middle when Mike Fisher officially signs so their focus may be to add on the wings over the next two weeks.More from the Central:
Jets goaltender Steve Mason took a small step forward in his recovery this week when he skated on his own in consecutive days for the first time since being diagnosed with his second concussion of the season, notes Postmedia’s Ken Wiebe. Despite that, he is still likely at least several weeks away from returning to the lineup. For the time being10 Feb 2018 13:00:16 -0500http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/central_notes_predators_mason_blues/s1_14825_25673276
http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/central_notes_predators_mason_blues/s1_14825_25673276Central Notes: Predators happy with forwards; Mason skates; Blues won't move prospectshttp://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/central_notes_predators_mason_blues/s1_14825_25673276http://www.yardbarker.com/media/1/b/1b0eefb872cbe4ca4854200e3beff2192183ebcc/top_story/10592213.jpgMetropolitan Notes: Hurricanes on trade deadline; Cole staying put; Devils need goalieWhile the Hurricanes are sitting on the outside looking in at a playoff spot and haven’t made the postseason since 2009, don’t expect GM Ron Francis to be too aggressive in trying to shake up and add to Carolina’s roster over the next couple of weeks. Speaking with Tom Gulitti of NHL.com, Francis indicated that he won’t be deviating from his approach to building the team and has the backing of ownership to stay the course:“If we feel it makes our team better, we’re going to do it, but we’re not going to give up key pieces or key picks just to try to get into the playoffs. We’re going to try to keep building this thing the right way to build a championship team. That philosophy is going stay the same.”With the Metropolitan Division being so tight, there’s a good chance Francis will wait until just before the deadline before deciding whether to be a buyer, seller, or to stay put.Elsewhere in the Metro:
Earlier in the season, it looked like a foregone conclusion that the Penguins would be dealing defenseman Ian 10 Feb 2018 10:20:59 -0500http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/metropolitan_notes_hurricanes_cole_devils/s1_14825_25672166
http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/metropolitan_notes_hurricanes_cole_devils/s1_14825_25672166Metropolitan Notes: Hurricanes on trade deadline; Cole staying put; Devils need goaliehttp://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/metropolitan_notes_hurricanes_cole_devils/s1_14825_25672166http://www.yardbarker.com/media/5/7/573861e85bbdd967dbb37ac93c267b97d131cf21/top_story/10597896.jpgRangers issue letter to fans detailing futureThe New York Rangers front office has taken an unprecedented step by releasing a letter from Glen Sather and Jeff Gorton directly to fans, seemingly admitting that they will be sellers at the upcoming trade deadline. The letter explains that though the team has been competitive for more than a decade, it is time now to move in a different direction. Most telling may be the admission that “familiar faces” will likely be lost:As we approach the trade deadline later this month and into the summer, we will be focused on adding young, competitive players that combine speed, skill and character. This may mean we lose some familiar faces, guys we all care about and respect. While this is a part of the game, it’s never easy. Our promise to you is that our plans will be guided by our singular commitment: ensuring we are building the foundation for our next Stanley Cup contender. The New York Rangers front office has taken an unprecedented step by releasing a letter from Glen Sather and Jeff Gorton directly to fans, se08 Feb 2018 15:23:53 -0500http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/new_york_rangers_front_office_issues_letter_to_fans_detailing_future/s1_14825_25656542
http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/new_york_rangers_front_office_issues_letter_to_fans_detailing_future/s1_14825_25656542Rangers issue letter to fans detailing futurehttp://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/new_york_rangers_front_office_issues_letter_to_fans_detailing_future/s1_14825_25656542http://www.yardbarker.com/media/f/d/fd9abe0ce76a10a264c092c2eaf704ca315d1754/top_story/USATSI_7937951.jpgNashville’s Forsberg to have hearing for Vesey hitThe Department of Player Safety announced today that Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg will have a hearing today for his hit on New York Rangers winger Jimmy Vesey during the Predators’ Saturday’s 5-2 win.The incident happened during the second period of the game in which Forsberg skated backwards behind the net and collided with Vesey, leaving the second-year forward a bloody mess. Video link here.There was no penalty called on the hit during the game. The highly debated hit brings many questions as it looks like Forsberg leaves his feet to make the hit and his elbow connects with Vesey’s face, suggesting it was malicious in nature.04 Feb 2018 09:55:43 -0500http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/nashvilles_forsberg_to_have_hearing_for_vesey_hit/s1_14825_25618169
http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/nashvilles_forsberg_to_have_hearing_for_vesey_hit/s1_14825_25618169Nashville’s Forsberg to have hearing for Vesey hithttp://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/nashvilles_forsberg_to_have_hearing_for_vesey_hit/s1_14825_25618169http://www.yardbarker.com/media/d/7/d74d06c5182c09f750812bd016c10be5dfa4f623/top_story/10585408.jpgNew York Islanders will not trade John TavaresDespite remaining unsigned now into February, John Tavares will not be traded this season regardless of what happens for the New York Islanders. That’s what GM Garth Snow told Pierre LeBrun, who reported on TSN’s Insider Trading that they’ll use all the time they have before the end of the season to try and get Tavares signed long-term.The 27-year old will be the biggest story in the NHL heading into free agency if he still isn’t signed, and recently Craig Custance of The Athletic wrote how Tavares could be holding up the trade market as well. Teams are trying to leave room under the cap in order to make a pitch this summer, even if it means not striking a deal during the season to improve their clubs. Whether that continues all the way to the deadline is still to be seen.Tavares is in the middle of what could be called the best season of his career, recording 57 points through 52 games and generally being an absolute force every time he touches the ice. The Islanders meanwhile can’t seem to keep the puck out01 Feb 2018 20:24:58 -0500http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/new_york_islanders_will_not_trade_john_tavares/s1_14825_25598924
http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/new_york_islanders_will_not_trade_john_tavares/s1_14825_25598924New York Islanders will not trade John Tavareshttp://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/new_york_islanders_will_not_trade_john_tavares/s1_14825_25598924http://www.yardbarker.com/media/f/6/f6905ba18e32dae268df0964b8b9a3e471632a81/top_story/10566346.jpgCalgary Flames officially assign Jaromir Jagr to HC KladnoIt’s official. Jaromir Jagr is no longer in the National Hockey League. The 45-year old legend has been assigned to Kladno of the Czech league after clearing waivers earlier today. Though he remains technically part of the Calgary Flames organization, it seems unlikely that he will make a return to the NHL this season. Jagr issued a statement to the fans and organization:I want to thank Brad Treliving and the Calgary Flames for giving me the immense opportunity to be a part of their team and continue my NHL career this season. Although I am very disappointed that things did not turn out as we had hoped due to a number of circumstances, I am deeply grateful to the Flames, the fans and the City of Calgary for having welcomed me so generously. I now look forward to continuing the season in Kladno.If this is the end of Jagr’s NHL career, he’ll finish among the very best that have ever played the game. He ranks third all-time in goals, fifth in assists, second in points and third in games played. He collected a Ha29 Jan 2018 18:22:17 -0500http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/calgary_flames_officially_assign_jaromir_jagr_to_hc_kladno/s1_14825_25571330
http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/calgary_flames_officially_assign_jaromir_jagr_to_hc_kladno/s1_14825_25571330Calgary Flames officially assign Jaromir Jagr to HC Kladnohttp://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/calgary_flames_officially_assign_jaromir_jagr_to_hc_kladno/s1_14825_25571330http://www.yardbarker.com/media/3/2/32de46be1d32ba4f7b3dbf51af8121139d0ecf47/top_story/10418109.jpg